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Abram Gen 12:1-6 The Lord had said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you. "I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you." So Abram left, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Haran. He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan, and they arrived there. Abram travelled through the land as far as the site of the great tree of Moreh at Shechem. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. The Lord appeared to Abram and said, "To your offspring I will give this land." So he built an altar there to the Lord, who had appeared to him.

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Abram to have offspring Gen 15:1-6 After this, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: "Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward. " But Abram said, "O Sovereign Lord, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?" And Abram said, "You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir." Then the word of the Lord came to him: "This man will not be your heir, but a son coming from your own body will be your heir." He took him outside and said, "Look up at the heavens and count the stars — if indeed you can count them." Then he said to him, "So shall your offspring be." Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness.

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Gen 22:1-19 So far there have been risks Abraham to offer Isaac as a sacrifice Isaac was Abraham’s promised son The descendant to receive all the promises God had made And now he's being asked to sacrifice him Could the risks be higher? Abraham trusted God

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Adam & Eve Eve was tempted Was told God was holding something good back from her She believed the lie Do we know better?

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Trust, Risk & Reward We are tempted to think that we know better That there is no other choice Perhaps we see risks in doing what God says so we try to avoid them What if Abraham had not believed God trustworthy? Never taken Isaac up that mountain He would have played safe And missed out “through your offspring, all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.” Gen 22:18

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Jesus A life totally trusting his heavenly father Had both blessings and tears It was time to submit himself to torture and death he struggled with himself in the Garden of Gethsemane Asked the father if he could avoid this bit He set his will to trust God no matter the cost He was tortured and put to death

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God is Faithful According to his promise, God raised him back to life on the third day Heb 12:2-3 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. There was joy set before him Isa 49:6 he says: "It is too small a thing for you to be my servant to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back those of Israel I have kept. I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth."

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Faith in the Faithful One Need to: trust the promises of one who is totally trustworthy accept Jesus as Saviour and Lord Relationship with the living God Eternal life Because God is Faithful